The UEFA European Championship, also known as the Euros, is a quadrennial football tournament for the best European national teams, which has been played since 1960.

Initially known as the European Nations’ Cup, the tournament has grown in both scale and prestige over the years. The early finals were characterized by tightly contested matches, often decided by narrow margins or requiring replays in the event of draws.

Over the years, the championship has witnessed plenty of memorable moments, such as the impact of the Golden Goal rule in 1996 and 2000, and the shift to penalty shootouts to decide drawn matches.

Notable upsets, like Greece’s unexpected triumph in 2004, have added to the tournament’s drama and unpredictability.

In total, 10 different countries have been crowned as the European Champions, with Spain and Germany dominating the list. As the excitement builds around Euro 2024, The Sporting News takes a look at the most successful teams in the tournament’s history. 

MORE: Euro 2024 full schedule of matches and group draw

Which team has won the most Euros titles?

Germany (previously having competed also as West Germany) and Spain are the most successful teams in Euros history, with three titles each. They are followed by France and Italy, with two apiece.

Other winners include the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Greece, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal. 

The first-ever final saw the Soviet Union defeating Yugoslavia in 1960, while Italy won the latest edition in 2021 against England. That tournament was delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The upcoming tournament will be the 17th edition. 

MORE: All-time list of European Championship host nations

Which player has won the most Euros titles?

It’s fascinating to note that out of the 322 players who have been part of winning teams in the European Championship so far, only a select few have achieved the feat twice. Among them, Rainer Bonhof stands out as the lone non-Spanish player.

As Germany and Spain have dominated the list of most titles won, the list of players with the most individual Euro Champions medals is packed with Spaniards from the country’s ‘golden generation’. La Roja won the tournament back-to-back in 2008 and 2012.

Which coach has won the most Euros titles?

Notably, no manager has won the title more than once, and all winning coaches have led their native countries to victory, except Otto Rehhagel, the German who guided Greece to a stunning triumph in 2004.

Helmut Schon and Berti Vogts are the only managers to both win and lose a European Championship final. Vogts is also unique in winning the championship as both a player and a manager.

Jose Villalonga (44) holds the record for the youngest winning manager, while Luis Aragones (69) is the oldest. Joachim Low (Germany) and Lars Lagerback (Sweden and Iceland) share the record for managing in the most European Championships (4).

When and where will Euro 2024 take place?

Euro 2024 will be the 17th edition of the UEFA European Championship. The tournament will run from 14 June–14 July, with Germany acting as the host nation to the other 23 teams participating in the tournament.